


Silver and Scales

by NicoNarratives



Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: F/F, Mermaids, Multi, Threesome - F/F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-20
Updated: 2014-03-20
Packaged: 2018-01-15 12:54:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1305589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NicoNarratives/pseuds/NicoNarratives
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Lady Knight on a quest to destroy a monster finds the beast is less scary and more beautiful than expected. Also, there's two of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Silver and Scales

In this mountain forest of ancient evergreens and golden, dappled sunlight, there lived a monster.

Something dangerous and black tentacled, with pale, clammy skin, and a habit of drowning merchant men. Something perhaps with a lust for gold, for much of it had gone missing from the caravans climbing through the mountain pass.

Lady Imogene of the Brooks was not known as a monster killer. However, she was a true knight, and better yet, from the area of the attacks. "Go out, Lady Knight, and bring me the head of whatever creature is responsible," her lord had said to her. She'd bowed low and sworn on her honor.

The summer air, hot and sticky, was not helped by her leather armor. Imogene liked fighting, she liked protecting her land and lord, she even liked training drills, but she hated traveling. No one had told her being a knight would involve so much riding and walking. She wished she hadn't left her horse at the last inn, useless though he'd be on these craggy slopes.

She crunched through the leaves, grumbling inwardly.

Then she heard...a woman's voice.

Imogene halted and cocked her head. Was it the wind, sliding through the tree needles? Or a faraway animal howling? Imogene closed her eyes.

_That I could sing without a breath to hold,_   
_that my song could last as long as gold._   
_After copper green has lost its sheen,_   
_Still my voice will be. Serene, unseen._

The voice was strong, yet soft, like spider silk, and seemed to come from far away. Imogene frowned and headed towards it. As a child, she too had disappeared into these woods. For adventure, for peace, but it hadn't been dangerous then. She'd have to warn this singing woman there were monsters afoot.

Not wanting to scare her, Imogene stepped carefully, no longer making a sound as her heavy boots stepped on dry leaves. Part of it, she noticed, was the ground no longer had as many fallen needles. As Imogene approached the singing voice, the ground became bare. The trees changed as well. Brighter green, deeper brown. There were no broken branches and no rotted bark.

Magic touched this stretch of woods.

Imogene continued on, no longer sure this voice belonged to a woman.

The sweet smell of running water reached her before the sound, and Imogene hid behind the nearest tree. Before her, a small waterfall fell from a mossy outcropping, sending plumes of cool mist into the air. The stream crashed down onto a line of rocks, and on one boulder sat the singing woman.

She combed through seashell colored hair; nearly pink, nearly blue, nearly white. She wore nothing, the wet expanse of her long stomach clearly visible.

Imogene's face turned hotter than it already was. She crept a little closer, averting her eyes as well as she could. How could she alert the woman of her presence without embarrassing her, Imogene wondered, before seeing it.

The tail.

The fish tail. Sunlight fell across scales, lighting them like rainbow turned armor.

A mermaid. Imogene halted at the edge of the river, out of view behind a rock. Was the mermaid the monster attacking merchants? The pale, clammy skin could be accounted for, but what of the black tentacles? The gold? Imogene leaned forward and squinted into the swirling water. She saw the bottom, only rocks and flat, steely stones.

The river gushed around her hiding place in a curve. The sound of it was loud, a roar of splashes and singing. Imogene didn't hear the creature approaching. She didn't see black tendrils curling towards her.

Pale arms wrapped around Imogene's neck. She ducked and saw ink black seaweed. It clung to her and she rolled.

"You won't take her!"

Imogene ignored the woman's voice screaming in her ear in favor of knocking loose the monster's arms. She saw wild, black eyes and kicked out one armored knee. A scream pierced the air. Imogene drew her sword and held it high.

A woman lay beneath her, stomach bare beneath Imogene's boot. She glared up at the sword, eyes black as her sharp eyebrows. Her long, inky hair was clumped with dirt, and her wet skin smeared with it. Another mermaid.

The sword twitched in Imogene's hands.

"Don't!" Imogene nearly fell back as the seashell haired mermaid threw herself from the river. She fell atop the other, wrapping her arms around her fellow mermaid. "Don't hurt her!"

Mermaids, Imogene thought, look pathetic outside of water. They look like girls fallen from the bath.

"You attacked me," Imogene said.

The black haired mermaid jutted out her jaw defiantly.

"Lily's just protective," the other mermaid said, turning. She stroked the other's cheek.

The mermaid named Lily visible calmed.

"Get back into the water," Lily said, her voice rough.

"Have you been attacking the merchants?" Imogene said, sword unwavering. But Lily seemed to labor for breath, so she removed her boot.

Lily bared strange, iridescent teeth. "You mean the ones who've tried to steal Echo away? I'll kill anyone who tries to make her a prize," she said, ruining the proud ending with a cough.

It took a moment for Imogene to realize Echo was a name. Of course a merchant would see them and think profit. A real, living mermaid would win anyone fame and riches.

"Please," Echo broke into her thoughts, fingers digging hard into her gauntlet, "Help me get her to the water. There's dirt in her gills."

"What about the gold?"

Echo shook her head, wet hair flinging droplets against Imogene's armor. "You can have it, just help me!"

Imogene saw herself striding into the king's throne room, holding a head by its long black hair, by his command. Or better; with two mermaids and bags upon bags of gleaming merchant silver and gold. The king would have heard of her arrival, her treasure, but still find himself shocked. Living, captured mermaids.

They would be the king's greatest prize, and Imogene would live forever in history.

Imogene saw it all.

The muddy flaps at Lily's ribs fluttered with each shallow breath.

Imogene released a lungful of air and sheathed the sword. "Steady," she said, hooking the mermaid beneath the arms. She lifted. Where she'd expected cold and clammy instead she met blazing hot skin.

Echo pulled herself to the water and dropped in, soundless. She surfaced and outstretched her arms as if to catch Lily.

Though her human half was long and thin, her torso slight as a cat, she weighed as much as two women. Imogene struggled to the river bank before dropping painfully to one knee and slipping her into the water.

She sighed as the chance for fame and fortune fell from her hands.

Two pairs of hands suddenly grabbed her gauntlets, shockingly strong. They yanked and Imogene fell.

Imogene's breath left in a rush as she shouted, foolishly. Water filled her mouth and she kicked her legs in a panic. Her world was bubbles and flashing light and pain. Then there were arms under hers and the water broke.

She sucked in air as Echo laughed behind her, arms around her armored chest. Ahead, Lily's hair swirled in the water, trailing mud. Her expression was somber. "Echo," she said.

Echo stopped laughing. Imogene coughed up water and blinked the droplets from her eyelashes.

"Help me with my gills," Lily said, softly.

Imogene barely noticed the gentle sound Echo made at her ear.

"Why did you pull me in?" Imogene said, throat aching. "Is your plan to kill me?"

"Nonsense," Lily said and tossed her hair. She parted through the water and stopped just before Imogene. "We're thanking you."

"You can thank me by letting me out. My sword will rust if I don't dry it. This is none too good for my armor either."

"It will wait a few minutes," Lily said, leaned close, and kissed Echo on the mouth over Imogene's shoulder.

Imogene's stomach flipped.

She heard the soft, wet sound as they parted. Her legs tread the water, felt only as her feet skimmed across scales, and she hated her armor.

Lily pulled away and unstrapped Imogene's helmet as Echo's pale fingers slid over her gills. Sickly green bloomed across Lily's cheeks. Imogene wondered if it hurt, if it felt like someone stroking your lungs.

"What do you think?" Lily asked, brow furrowed. She tossed the helmet to shore.

Echo pressed her face into Imogene's wet hair. "She has a lovely face," she said. "And her hair is nearly as black as yours."

Imogene's could only concentrate on the scorching heat of them through her armor.

Lily made a blunt, thoughtful sound. "She is lovely." She carded her long fingers through Imogene's short bob and said, "Yet honorable. Do you think she deserves a reward?"

Echo said, "Oh yes."

Lily met Imogene's eyes. "As do I." She pressed forward and her lips brushed Imogene's. Imogene pushed closer and gasped. Lily tasted like falling snow, and when she licked into Imogene's mouth, like smokeless fire. Imogene shuddered. A hand forced her face away, to the side, and Echo kissed her, too. She tasted like jasmine.

Only now did Imogene realize her sword was gone. The beginnings of her armor as well. She pushed at the hands unstrapping her.

Echo tossed her belt onto solid ground and pulled away to say, "These clothes are heavy. We wouldn't want you drowning."

The water was cold as they pulled away her armor, her under clothes, but every inch they exposed they covered with their scorching skin.

"We've never touched a human woman, have we, Echo?" Lily said, firm breasts flush against Imogene's. Imogene was not sure when she'd become naked. She was not sure she minded.

Echo, for her part, seemed obsessed with Imogene's hair and exposed neck. She continually pressed her nose there, and bit at her skin. "But I've seen them touch themselves."

"Damn it," Imogene groaned. The skin against her front and back were soft, and Imogene wondered if she'd died. Surely heaven didn't consist of this. Certainly hell didn't feel so good. Echo brushed against her thighs and Imogene wriggled closer.

Lily kissed her again. "Do you want this?" she asked.

Imogene nodded hard.

"I don't think she wants it," Echo giggled.

"I want it," Imogene said, eyes pressed shut. Teeth scrapped her jaw. Fingers rubbed circles into her hips and a fin brushed her foot. "Just touch me, damn it."

Lily pushed her tongue between Imogene's lips just as Lily slipped a finger between her legs. Imogene's whimper went muffled against Lily's mouth, and she bucked into the heat of Echo's hand.

Echo stroked her, slow and searchingly. She rubbed two fingers suddenly against Imogene's clitoris and at her sudden gasp, did it again and harder.

"Damn it," she moaned into Lily's mouth. She was distantly aware of Lily's hands sliding around her ribs and disappearing.

"Lily-!" Echo squeaked behind her ear.

Imogene blinked through the water, crooked her neck. As Echo stroked her, Lily ran her fingers over Echo's gills. What did-

Oh.

Imogene fumbled for a moment, tangled as she was in arms, before she managed to brush against the slits at Lily's sides. Lily stiffened immediately, eyes wide.

Imogene pulled away.

"Don't," Lily growled, and somehow pressed even closer, "stop that."

Imogene didn't. Between the fingers inside her and the teeth against her shoulder, between being pulled either way for kisses and watching Lily and Echo kiss one another, Imogene's climax hit her too swiftly. She arched into Echo's hand and against Lily's body, giving a choked sob. Pleasure crashed through her and pulled a wave.

Through it, she heard Echo hiss against her back and felt Lily press her face into her neck, fingers pressed hard into one another.

Imogene kicked lazily at the water, mind blown wide and comfortable. Thank god she hadn't cut Lily's head off.

"Can we keep her?" Echo said, muffled against Imogene's shoulder.

"Don't ask me," Lily said, arms wrapped around them both. "Ask her."

Imogene laughed and wondered if maybe she could say yes.


End file.
